House Committee on Ethics opts not to pursue Rep. Tierney investigation

Thursday

Sep 12, 2013 at 12:01 AMSep 12, 2013 at 12:00 PM

North Shore Democrats are cheering the decision of the House Ethics Committee not to pursue an ethics investigation into the dealings of embattled Sixth District Congressman John Tierney.

Staff reports

North Shore Democrats are cheering the decision of the House Ethics Committee not to pursue an ethics investigation into the dealings of embattled Sixth District Congressman John Tierney.

Tierney’s wife, Patrice, pleaded guilty in 2010 to four counts of aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns for her brother, Robert Eremian. But John Tierney has noted repeatedly that he personally has not been implicated in any wrongdoing.

But in June of this year, the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) sent a referral to the House Ethics Committee recommending further review of the allegations that certain payments Patrice Tierney received from her brother and their mother were income that should have been reported as such, and disclosed on Tierney’s annual Financial Disclosure Statements.

A statement released by the House Ethics Committee today, however, stated that it had "unanimously voted" to close the matter sent to its members in June by the Office of Congressional Ethics.

"The Committee reviewed the allegations, conducted additional investigation as necessary, and unanimously concluded that the presently-available evidence was inconclusive as to whether the payments to Mrs. Tierney were income or gifts and does not warrant a finding that Representative Tierney intentionally mischaracterized the nature of the payments for financial disclosure or tax purposes," the statement reads.

"Therefore, after careful consideration, the Committee has unanimously voted to close the matter referred by the OCE, determined that no further action is required at this time, and agreed to end its review of this matter with the publication of this Report, which includes the materials referred to the Committee by the OCE," it read.

In a response to the committee's decision, Jim Walsh, chairman of the Nahant Democratic Town Committee, made special note of the unanimous decision, pointing out the House Ethics Committee includes five members of each party. "Unlike other committees, the day-to-day work of the Committee on Ethics is conducted by a staff that is nonpartisan by rule," he added.

"The last two elections have been marred by the focus on allegations that have now been dismissed by every independent panel that has looked at them. It’s time to get on with a better politics," said Walsh.

Check back for more information on this story and local reaction as it becomes available. The statement from the House Comittee on Ethics can be found in full at its website, here.